


Storms and Snuggles

by s_n_k_tt



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: Apprentice comes to look after and comfort him, Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/M, Fluff, Julian is scared of bad storms, Panic, Protective Apprentice, Scared Julian, Storms, astrapophobia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-16
Updated: 2019-06-16
Packaged: 2020-05-13 04:00:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19243417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/s_n_k_tt/pseuds/s_n_k_tt
Summary: When a vicious storm hits Vesuvia, Asra and Night plan on staying in their pillow pile. The plan changes when Night receives some worrying news about Julian, making her venture out to care for and snuggle her terrified boyfriend.Uses my OC (Night) and has she/her pronouns.





	Storms and Snuggles

**Author's Note:**

> Hello!
> 
> This is my first addition to The Arcana fandom! With all the rain we've had in Britain over the past few days, it started forming the idea of this fanfic. 
> 
> Just a warning, Julian in this is in a panicked state about the storm so if you don't like the idea or concept, please don't read.
> 
> There is a few mentions of sex and dom/sub relationship so that's why it has a teen rating, nothing explicit!
> 
> There are a few spoilers with references to both the storyline and paid choices in the game.

The wind lashed at the shop like a whip, making the old stone and wooden beams creak as the shop swaying from the force of the storm. When the wind didn’t rattle the foundations, the rain filled the silence as the pounded against the roof and windows. Night could practically hear the river the storm had created in the street.

  
It was one of those rare storms that blocked out the sun for the day or two when the gods of weather would open the clouds and released everything over Vesuvia and its inhabitants. Luckily a charm that Asra and Muriel created allowed the magicians to detect the incoming storm. Night had managed to get Asra’s help (that he had been putting off) with helping her reinforce and repair any external damages to the shop. And they were both thankful they had.

  
At the minute they were tucked inside, lounging on their every increasing pillow pile. Night was laid out, book in her hand and with Asra’s head resting on her stomach. A single hand swept delicately through the chaotic curls repeatedly, playing with the soft strands as he happily dozed in the cosiness of their shop. Warm cups of tea sat just outside the pile, an unusual Chaga tea Asra had brought back from his most recent journey. It was much earthier than other teas they had, with a quainter aftertaste that she just couldn’t place her finger on. Yet she was coming to enjoy it.

  
A particularly violent strike of wind made Night jump a little, glaring at the wall as if she was trying to chastise the weather. A soft chuckle drew her attention back to Asra, eyes now open and those soft purple eyes looking up at her.

  
“If I was the wind, I’d not dare to touch the shop after that look.” He murmured out lazily, stretching his back before turning over to rest his cheek against Night’s stomach. Night rolled her eyes at the comment, though the small smile on her face told Asra she had found it amusing. He returned it, hand coming to trace the stitching on her top.  
He stopped suddenly, moving to sit up as a familiar voice filled the room.

  
“Hello? Hellllllllloooooooooo? Night? Asra? Am I using this correct? Can they even hear me?” The voice called out, a meow following the voice.

  
Portia? Night’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion why Portia would be calling at this time at night. Unless it was an emergency. Asra and Night shared a look, both coming to the same conclusion as they scrambled over the pillows. Both raced to the mirror hanging in the kitchen, eyes frantic as they looked over Portia in the mirror.

  
Night had worked out how to connect specific mirrors to the one in the shop, allowing two to converse face to face without being close. It had been useful for Nadia to invite them to dinner, or to chat with Portia when things were quiet.

  
Portia’s face lit up when she saw the two magicians appeared, a huge smile filling her face as she waved so enthusiastically that Night was worried her hands might fly off.  
“It worked! Well, we knew it worked but you’ve always called me, so I wasn’t sure how to use this thing! Isn’t it good! I wished you had left me some instructions though, I’ve been trying for the past hour to get in contact with you.” She exclaimed excitedly, though huffed nearer the end.

  
By the end of her speech, both magicians were looking for frantic. Asra had already grabbed his bag and scarf ready to race there.

  
“Portia, what’s happening? Are you and Nadia okay? Is there some sort of invasion on the castle? Some magical creature running rampant?” Night blurted out, words pouring out the first thing that came into her head. Portia looked startled at the questions, finally noticing the expressions on the magician’s face.

  
“No! No, no no! We’re fine! I just wanted to ask for a favour!” She cried out in return, cheeks blushing at the panic she had caused. Both of them visibly sagged in relief in front of her, the dangerous fire leaving Night’s eyes dimming out as she realised none of her friends were in danger. Asra, with the problem passed, yawned and moved to place his bag and scarf back down but was still listening.

  
“Thank the Arcana, you had us worried. What’s up then?” Night asked, giggling at the embarrassed look on Portia’s face.

  
“I just wondered if you can check on Julian for me? I’ve known him not to react well to storms of this scale, I think it reminds him of the storm that took out parents from us.” Portia confessed, her voice wavering slightly at the mention of their parents. She had schooled her expression, though Night could see small cracks forming.

  
“Don’t worry Portia, I’ll go check. He’ll be in safe hands.” Night agreed with a nod, not wanting to prolong Portia’s pain.

  
“That’s great! Thank you, Night! I’m sure he will be~” Portia cheered, a knowing smirk on her face as she winked at Night. It was Night’s turn to blush, sending a playful glare at Portia.

  
“I know that look! Portia out!” She cried out, though there was no real fear in it as she vanished, leaving Night staring at her own flustered reflection.

  
When she turned back around, Asra was there holding her blue bag and a cloak, ready for her journey. He helped her to pull her bag across her body and secure her purple cloak over herself and the bag.

  
“I’ve put some of your favourite tea and the little care package you made for Julian in your bag,” Asra informed her as he finished helping her, hands on his hips as Faust appeared from his shirt. Both of them inspected her, checking her over.

  
“Thank you, Asra, and Faust. I might be there all night, so try and get some sleep and don’t wait up for me.” Night replied, pushing up on her tiptoes to peck Asra’s cheek. Immediately his cheeks became red but the smile on his face was joyous. He watched her go, disappearing down the stairs in haste.

  
Asra could easily sense how worried Night was, the faint tremble in her body at the idea of Julian being distressed or in the same pain Portia was slowly getting in. Since the dealings with the Devil, the relationship between Julian and Night had just strengthened more and more. They could happily be themselves, but there was sometimes that Asra saw them become one person. Caring, moving and loving like one entity. He and Night hadn’t drifted apart either, their relationship too strengthened as Night regained memories. And now he was happy her beating heart was beating for all her friends.

  
The door slammed below his feet, shaking him from his daydream.

  
Night had never been so thankful for her leather cloak in her life. If it had been a fabric one, the minute she stepped out of the shop it would have been sodden. The rain drummed on her head painfully, making her brain bounce in her head as the wind hit her as she stepped out of the safety of the door. She staggered sideways with the force, planting her feet hard and made a dash for a small side street. The wind and rain were still fierce, but even the slight calmness was a relief in comparison.

  
The rest of her journey was similar, a mad dash across the main roads and a steady walk through the back street. Her usual ball of light hung just in front of her, lighting her way. Even having used the route many times, trying to in the dark was still difficult for her. But the desperation and worry that coursed through her body pushed her onwards. She hoped Julian was okay, and that Portia was just worrying over nothing. But something in her gut told her she still needed to hurry.

  
When she got to his flat, she removed the key he had given her after showing her his flat for the first time. It was as chaotic as his office and the library desk, with a few personal items dotted about. It was bare besides the mess, but every little thing reeked of Julian. It had become one of Night’s favourite places to be.

  
As she entered, the whole apartment was in darkness. At first Night wasn’t sure if he was here. Maybe he was at the Rowdy Raven? The noise there would likely drown out the sound of the storm. If it didn’t, a few Salty Bitters would render Julian’s hearing inadequate.

  
That idea was dashed as the window bellowed open with force, the glass almost shattering in the rattling wooden frame as the wind tore through the apartment. The thunder and rain raged outside, soaking the window frame and part of the floor. It almost drowned out the tiny whimper coming from the bed. Almost.

  
Night’s heart broke a little at the whimper and kicked herself into gear. She closed the door behind her, dashing over to the windows as she closed them with a little difficulty, mumbling a small spell to keep them from opening again. The wind and rain were still deafening, but less so with the window closed.

  
The bed was her next stop. The top was empty, just a pillow tossed aside on the mattress. She knelt down, looking under the bed and found what she was looking for. Under the bed in the darkness was a shaking bundle, with every lash of rain and a beat of wind the bundle jumped and whimpered.

  
“Julian? It's okay, I’m here now.” Night whispered to not scare him, though she wasn’t sure he had heard her. The answer came with a small movement, the blanket shifting to reveal petrified eyes.

  
“N-Night?....You’re actually h-here….I can explain why I’m in this situation. Really.” Julian mumbled, eyes darting to look everywhere but Night’s face as if to come up with a semi-realistic story of why he was under his bed. Unable to catch Julian’s eyes, she stretched her arm under the bed to stroke his cheek. His usually cold skin was colder than usual, and with her warm hand suddenly on his cheek, he gasped out. He smothered his face in his palm, face reddening from the situation as he let his heart decide exactly what it wanted his body to do. And at this minute, it wanted to be selfish and to take whatever Night gave him, no matter how small.

  
Night felt the tremble under her hand, even with the sensation of him smushing his face into her hand. If it was any other situation, it would be absolutely adorable and teaseable. But she knew Julian needed comfort like he needed water at this moment in time.

  
“Don’t worry, no need to explain. Do you think you can come out so I can give you a cuddle?” Night asked softly, stroking a thumb over his cheek. Every shake felt like an earthquake to her, chipping at her heart and soul. If he didn’t want to come out, she would go under the bed after him.

  
He began to nod, shifting to begin crawling out before hesitating as a strike of lightning lit up the sky. He tightened himself more into a ball, instinctively protecting himself.

  
“Almost there, Julian. I’ll keep you safe.” Night murmured encouragingly, her other hand reaching to grasp what she had worked out to be his hand under the blanket. The hand gripped hers desperately, squeezing hard as if it was the only way to keep her here. The crawling resumed till eventually, she had to back away from the bed to allow the length of Julian out. Just as he managed to get out, which itself would be hilarious in any other situation, another flash of lightning hit. This time instead of a ball, Julian launched at Night with abandon. They both hit the floor with a thud, though neither seemed the care. Night’s arms fixed firmly around Julian’s trembling body, one around his waist while the other wrapped partly across his shoulder and tangled with his hair. Her leg wrapped around his hips and his legs, caging him in completely. His head was shoved deep between her breasts, a sob echoing between them.

  
She squeezed and stroked his hair, muttering gentle reassurances to him as she tried her best to calm him down a little.

  
“Julian. It’s okay, I’m going to protect you and keep you safe. No one and nothing is going to hurt you with me around. Now, I want you to try and copy my breathing.” Night whispered softly yet confidently. Gently she took his hand that was clinging to her clothing, laying it flat over her heart. Her own heart rate was higher than normal, but it was purely from the panic of seeing Julian. Though compared to the Julian’s racing heartbeat, which she could feel through where their chests touched, it was significantly slower. He nodded in a reply between her breasts, and as she took a deep breath he attempted to copy. The inhale was stuttered and he was unable to complete the full deep breath, however on the next one he did. With each inhale and exhale, Night could feel Julian’s heart begin to settle.

  
“Thank you, Night, not exactly the usual way I like to be pressed up against you. But I can’t complain.” Julian mumbled between her breasts, nuzzling a little into them till he was looking up at Night. A smile of relief appeared on her face as the usual Julian began to return, stroking through his hair which he seemed to purr at.

  
“I’m just happy you’re safe. If you had told me, I would have stayed over at yours.” Night sighed as she began to sit up, Julian shifting so he was sat in her lap, leaning against the shoulder. Even like this, Julian towered over Night yet he tried to bend himself so he could curl up against her as he sought comfort.

  
“I honestly didn’t think the storm would be this bad, or I would have reacted this bad. By the time I wanted you here, I couldn’t get to the mirror.” Julian admitted, clenching his hand wrapped in Night’s clothing. Night was relieved at least that he hadn’t fallen back into his old ways of having to deal with everything on his own.

  
“Well, I’m here now. You’ll have to thank your sister, she summoned me to you.” Night chuckled, trying to lighten the mood and keep Julian distracted. Julian looked surprised at that, blushing a little.

  
“My sister is a very talented magician if she can summon a gorgeous magician to appear in my flat to keep me safe. I’ll have to get her to teach me that one.” Julian laughed back, Night’s face flushing with the compliment and contemplating what would happen if Julian could summon her whenever he wanted. The sound of his laughter soothed Night’s mind and soul more than any spell or tea could. Oh! The tea!

  
“Asra packed me some tea and my care packages for you. I made those little biscuits you like. Want some?” Night asked, scraping her fingers through his hair and watching with fascination as the curls bounced back.

  
“Two things wrong with those sentences. One is I love those little biscuits and second is, are you really asking that as a question?” He replied, looking dramatically deeply offended at applying there was a time he didn’t want her little biscuits. She giggled in return, grasping his hair and making him release a stuttering grasp, his face heating up.

“A simple yes would be sufficient. But I guess I didn’t fall in love with you for your simple answers.” Night laughed, a swell of lightness in her chest as she declared her love. It wasn’t the first time, but it always did feel like it. The effect was instant on Julian. His eyes lidded, mouth a little slack as the blush spread to his ears, neck, and shoulders.

“I-I love you too.” He admitted, mouth dry so the words came out like a whisper. It was one thing he knew he never get used to hearing or saying back. And he hoped he never did. Night released his hair, stroking down his neck. A quiet moan left his mouth as those talented fingers ventured down his neck and shoulder. The moan became a squeak as Night picked him up, arm under the back of his knees and the other around the small of his back.

  
Night had carried him before, in the magic realms and in the real world and it was something that, without fail, turned him on. Night didn’t look as strong as she was, so it was a surprise at first when she picked him up and carried him like he weighed nothing. She had also noticed his enjoyment of being carried and manhandled, which she had used to her advantage when they were in bed.

  
But this time, he was placed down in one of the few chairs he possessed. This was a high backed one, the material worn but it was still useable and comfortable with the extra stuffing he had put in it.

  
There was a flash of panic as Night backed away from him, his body jerked forward from the blanket to grab her wrist. She froze for a second, looking at her wrist to Julian.  
“Julian, I’m going to make us tea. Just keep your eyes on me, if I’m in your line of sight, I can’t leave, can I?” Night explained gently, waiting patiently. Julian was trembling lightly again, the panic dying down now he realised what Night was doing and the instruction. That was easy. If Night was in the room, his attention was on her 99% of the time. Trying not to do it was more difficult.

  
“Sorry, I panicked. Tea would be nice. And those little biscuits?” Julian muttered, releasing her wrist and letting her continue with the tea. Though he did send Night one of his signature eyebrow raises and smirk as he asked. He got an eye roll in return and a thoughtful look.

  
“Maybe, they might be your treat for tomorrow.” Night decided, smirking at Julian’s face falling and the overzealous slumping in defeat. She tried not to blow the act, keeping her back to Julian as she bit back laughter.

  
“My goddess has abandoned me! Tempting me with biscuits and then taking away before I can even taste a crumb!” Julian howled, acting as if struck by a fatal blow. Night had thrown a log on the fire, placing her hands before it, had summoned the flame. It spread quickly over the log at an unnatural speed, and the room filled with warm orange light and the cracking of wood, competing against the storm outside. The kettle was placed over, summoning the water to fill it and dropping the tea leaves in.

  
“Oh here, its easier to give you them then hear you lament how cruel and wicked I am.” Night laughed, digging the little wrapped parcel out of her bag and passed it to Julian. Julian tore into the parcel, revealing several small round dark brown biscuits clustered together and a small jar of a fruity dipping sauce. An embarrassing squeal of joy left him as he uncovered the treasure, unable to resist taking a bite of one. Just how he remembered. He wasn’t sure what she put in them, she refused to tell him, but it was so good. The rest of the biscuit disappeared quickly as Night placed two cups of steaming tea on the old table beside the chair.

  
She removed the parcel from him, his mouth opening to complain but no words left him as she replaced the biscuits. Night sat on his lap, legs dangling over the arm of the chair while her head curled into his shoulder. He squirmed and wiggled as her warmth infected the blankets and his skin, every bit of pressure sending goosebumps over his skin. Her hot breath fanned over his neck and collar bones, inciting his blood to rush both to his face and down to his crotch. Even though every bit of her could excite him, under the comfortable pressure and warmth his muscles had begun to lose their tenseness. Night had managed to calm him down to a reasonable level, though the sounds outside were still putting him on edge. Yet at this moment, everything seemed focused on Night and he had never been more grateful.

  
A soft finger stroked down his defined cheekbone and he couldn’t stop his eyelids fluttering shut. The finger dragged along his nose, stroking the prominent arch to his lips. The tip of her finger drew around the shape of his lips and he couldn’t resist placing a timid kiss on those playful fingers. Night giggled at the ticklish feeling as she examined Julian’s face like she had done so many times before. No matter how many times she did this, it was like exploring this handsome man for the first time all over again. She couldn’t believe he was real sometimes, and he loved her as much as she loved him.

  
Julian’s eyes opened slowly as the fingers disappeared, met with the sight of his goddess an inch from his face as she claimed his lips, returning the kiss with interest. His eyes lidded again as his moan was devoured by her mouth. Yet this wasn’t a frantic demanding kiss, nor was it chaise and gentle. It was reassuring and grounding, that they both were real and whatever was happening outside didn’t matter. Julian melted into the kiss, lips moving against Night and taking whatever she was willing to give him.  
At some point she had cupped his face, trapping him in the kiss and he never felt more free and safe. She completely controlled the pace and Julian was happy to match it, not wanting to disrupt the euphoric feeling dispelling his thoughts and fears, leaving nothing but the feeling of Night’s soft lips against his own.

  
As she drew away, Julian tried to follow with a pathetic whine, but her hands kept him in place. Night took in her Julian, the lobster red blush, glazed eyes and of course those pert abused lips that were partially open as he panted for breath. She was panting as well, staring into his odd eyes. She was almost floored by the amount of adoration and love in them, the want and the desire.

  
“So beautiful.” She mumbled as she snuggled back into his shoulder. Her own eyes were getting heavy, sleep tugging on her consciousness. Julian whimpered at the compliment, glancing at her. A wave of warmth and calmness that settled over him as he watched her fight sleep, small jerks which only got smaller as she lost the battle. He found her utterly adorable like this, biting his lip to stop any sounds coming from him as he observed her as she finally lost the battle.

  
Julian knew this probably wasn’t the best position to sleep in, but he didn’t want to disturb her. His arms wrapped around her, pulling her close and causing her to mumble something incoherently. Julian’s head settled on top of hers, sinking his face into the thick soft strands as he felt himself following her. The diverse array of spices that clung to her soothed his senses, engulfing him in an enjoyable bubble.

  
The storm still raged on outside, pounding the city with a god-like force but inside his little flat, it was like a paradise. With Night’s quiet breaths, the crackle of the fire and being completely engulfed by Night’s warmth and protection, there was no chance of the storm disturbing his sleep as he happily let himself get pulled in.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment and/or kudo if you enjoyed the fic!
> 
> Have a good day/night!


End file.
